Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Ming Thing
Ming Thing is the monstrose form of Cereus forbesii, a small cactus made of clustered, knobby blue-green stems that look like rounded, clenched fists. It grows slowly and stays small, about 1 foot tall in a pot and larger with age, so it suits patio containers, planters and tabletops. It takes more shade than most cacti and needs little water. Every plant grows its own lumpy shape.
Best for: patio pots and tabletop containers, a planter spot with filtered light, and collections of odd, sculptural cacti.
It grows slowly to about a foot tall in a pot, so it holds its shape in a patio container or on a table for years. Use a gritty mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
It handles lower light than most cacti. A spot with filtered sun or a few hours of direct sun suits it.
Monstrose growth sends out knobs from many points at once, so no two plants look alike. Pick one in person if you want a particular shape.
It does not survive a hard frost, and frost can scar it near 30°F. Soil that stays wet rots the roots. Keep it in a gritty mix with a drainage hole.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. In cooler weather, water only after two to four weeks without rain.
Water deeply in the warm months only when the soil is dry, and give little or none in winter. Plants in pots dry out faster and need water more often than plants in the ground.
Plant it with the same side facing the sun as in the nursery. Cover a new plant with light shade cloth its first summer, then remove it.
Below about 30°F, frost can scar the stem tips. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take covers off in the morning.
Now and then a normal, round stem sprouts from the plant. Cut it off at its base so the plant puts its energy into the knobby growth.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is a Ming Thing?
It is a monstrose form of Cereus forbesii. Its stems grow from many points at once, so it forms knobby, fist-like clumps instead of straight columns.
How big does Ming Thing get?
It grows slowly to about 1 foot tall and 6 inches wide in a pot. Older plants can reach about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
Does Ming Thing need full sun?
No. It takes more shade than most cacti. Give it filtered light or a few hours of direct sun, not all-day hard sun.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Water less in the cool months to protect the roots.
Is Ming Thing cold hardy?
It does not handle much cold. It is rated to about 30°F and will not survive a hard frost, so cover it or move the pot under cover on frost nights.
What soil does it need?
Use a gritty, fast-draining cactus mix with lots of coarse sand, pumice or perlite, in a pot with a drainage hole.
Does it have spines?
It has only a few short black spines, set in woolly spots on the knobs. Handle it carefully, with gloves if you repot it.
Why does part of my Ming Thing look like a normal column?
Monstrose plants can send up normal stems. Cut a normal stem off at its base if you want to keep the knobby shape.
Does Ming Thing flower?
It is not a dependable bloomer and flowers only once in a while. When it does, the funnel-shaped flowers are white, so enjoy it mostly for its shape.
Ming Thing for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Ming Thing is a monstrose cactus with knobby, clustered blue-green stems. It stays small and grows slowly, which makes it a favorite for pots. Here is what Valley homeowners ask about growing one.
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Ming Thing cactus in Phoenix
Ming Thing takes more shade than most cacti, so give it filtered or morning sun rather than all-day hard sun. It suits patio pots and planters.
How big Ming Thing gets
It grows slowly to about 1 foot tall in a pot. Older plants can reach about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
What monstrose means
A monstrose cactus grows from many points at once, so its stems turn knobby and lumpy. Each plant ends up with its own shape.
Watering Ming Thing
Let the mix dry completely, then water deeply. Water less in the cool months.
Frost care for Ming Thing
It is rated to about 30°F and cannot take a hard frost. Cover it or move the pot under cover on cold nights.
Ming Thing vs twisted cereus
Both plants belong to the Cereus group of cactus. Ming Thing grows in knobby, fist-like clumps and stays small, while twisted cereus grows tall spiraled columns.
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